FOREX: USD Softer Again; Trump/Putin Talks Inject Dose of Risk

FVQ5 108.00 puts 20K given at 0-15.

• Trump's tariff letter-writing caught markets yesterday, prompting losses for equities and a negative close on Wall Street. Equity futures are yet to reverse, but are off the worst levels of the week headed into the crossover. The tariff headlines yesterday put paid to the USD/JPY rally that seems to have run out of steam into NY hours. That said, price remains in close proximity to 146.45, the weekly high and level above which the corrective move higher could resume. Through here, markets eye 148.03 for direction ahead of the Y149.73 200-dma.
• Triggers for a return higher in USD/JPY would be a re-widening of front-end US-Japan yield spreads or a corrective rally for the USD Index - which appears to be building a base at the recent pullback low of 96.377. While tariff uncertainties remain present, another likely delay to the installation of reciprocal tariffs to early August is keeping the USD downside argument intact, despite further warning signs over the pace of USD weakness this year - most recently via a PBOC survey issued to domestic banks earlier in the week.
• JPY is the poorest performer on the day, while AUD is the strongest. The RBA rate decision pushed back against building consensus for another rate cut by holding policy. AUD/USD trades back above 0.6500 as a result, and keeps the 50-dma support intact on any further downside.
• Following the data rush last week, there are no tier 1 releases due from the US Tuesday, although the NY Fed's latest survey on one-year inflation expectations could see some attention, expected to slow to 3.13% from 3.20%. The speaker schedule is similarly light, with just ECB's Nagel at 1500BST/1000ET.

Early FX Exchange traded Option, New Position, looking for Yen strength, still trading in a few clips.

While there's more of a two way flow, the aggressor has been the seller all Morning.

• JPYUSD (8th Aug) 63.00p, sold at 0.25 in ~3.9k total now.